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Literature and the New Culture Wars: Triggers, Cancel Culture, and the Teacher's Dilemma
Can educators continue to teach troubling but worthwhile texts? Our current “culture wars” have reshaped the politics of secondary literature instruction. Due to a variety of challenges from both the left and the right―to language or subject matter, to potentially triggering content, or to authors who have been canceled―school reading lists are rapidly shrinking. For many teachers, choosing which books to include in their curriculum has become an agonizing task with political, professional, and ethical dimensions. In Literature and the New Culture Wars , Deborah Appleman calls for a reacknowledgment of the intellectual and affective work that literature can do, and offers ways to continue to teach troubling texts without doing harm. Rather than banishing challenged texts from our classrooms, she writes, we should be confronting and teaching the controversies they invoke. Her book is a timely and eloquent argument for a reasoned approach to determining what literature still deserves to be read and taught and discussed.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2022
9 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Appleman
36 books13 followersDeborah Appleman is the Hollis L. Caswell professor of educational studies and director of the Summer Writing Program at Carleton College. Professor Appleman’s recent research has focused on teaching college-level language and literature courses at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater for inmates who are interested in pursuing post-secondary education.
Deborah recently edited an anthology of her students’ work titled From the Inside Out: Letters to Young Men and Other Writings Poetry and Prose from Prison.
Professor Appleman taught high school English for nine years before receiving her doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She was also a visiting professor at Syracuse University and at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of Reading for Themselves: How to Transform Adolescents into Lifelong Readers Through Out-of-Class Book Clubs, Teaching Literature to Adolescents, Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents, Braided Lives: An Anthology of Multicultural American Writing, Adolescent Literacy and the Teaching of Reading, and most recently, co-authored with Michael Graves, Reading Better, Reading Smarter: Designing Literature lessons for Adolescents.
Deborah recently edited an anthology of her students’ work titled From the Inside Out: Letters to Young Men and Other Writings Poetry and Prose from Prison.
Professor Appleman taught high school English for nine years before receiving her doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She was also a visiting professor at Syracuse University and at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of Reading for Themselves: How to Transform Adolescents into Lifelong Readers Through Out-of-Class Book Clubs, Teaching Literature to Adolescents, Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents, Braided Lives: An Anthology of Multicultural American Writing, Adolescent Literacy and the Teaching of Reading, and most recently, co-authored with Michael Graves, Reading Better, Reading Smarter: Designing Literature lessons for Adolescents.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 52 reviews
June 9, 2023
This short book, Literature and the New Culture Wars: Triggers, Cancel Culture, and the Teacher's Dilemma, weighs in at 140 pages and packs a wallop with each paragraph a deep-seated thought provoker. It brought back memories to me of reading Elie Wiesel's Night and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning because all three books deal with understanding the human condition and how books transport us to places so that we can deepen our learning, empathy, and connection with others.
Deborah Appleman taught high school English for nine years and is currently a professor at Carleton College. She was a visiting professor at Syracuse University and the University of California at Berkeley. She has written eight books. Her research, experience, approach and writing style reflect deep insight as well as many specific suggestions regarding education, trigger warnings, cancel culture, and critical race theory.
Rather than banning books, she recommends that teachers (and I am adding parents) learn how to discuss, review, read and evaluate controversial topics and books. Appleman is concerned about removing books from the classroom that deal with the grittier aspects of life because one of the obligations of writers is to represent reality. And reality is ugly---it's full of complexities and moral dilemmas.
Appleman shares in detail that book banning and cancel culture efforts are coming from both the right and the left political parties. There is an intolerance of opposing views by both political parties. We are steadily narrowing the boundaries of what can and can't be said. We have cancelled out a culture of forgiveness. Cancel culture is a new form of bullying.
She shares examples where students have told their English literature professors that they can't read anything that deals with death, violence, abuse, explicit sex, dysfunctional families, and other topics due to triggers. Trigger warnings have moved from optional to mandatory in many schools despite research that indicates that trigger warnings are not effective. The broader issue about challenging topics in books is that literature helps us learn to think and encourages us to feel and life is very messy. We read to experience discomfort. Appleman states that we need books that affect us like a disaster.
We need to read about history: slavery, Holocaust, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, George Floyd's death, mass shootings, COVID, etc. because disagreement, discomfort, and dissonance are required for personal and intellectual growth. It is dangerous to erase our past because literature reflects varied human experiences.
Some of the memorable passages include:
* Literature can carry the reader to many unexpected places. Our roles as teachers of literature is to not predetermine their destination.
* Books become part of our life story and part of our soul.
* A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.
* (Deb Stone): Art occurs at the intersection of experience and danger.
* (Brooklyn Museum about a lynching exhibit): We believe that great art and courageous conversations contribute to a more just, civic, and empathetic world.
* (Nadine Gordimer): Non-fiction uses facts to help us see lies. Fiction uses metaphor to help us see the truth.
* (Jill Filipovic): The point of literature and education is not to meet people where they are but to have the potential to take them somewhere else.
* To read literature is to learn to read the world in all of its complexities.
Thank you, Deborah Appleman, for this small but mighty impactful MUST READ book.
Deborah Appleman taught high school English for nine years and is currently a professor at Carleton College. She was a visiting professor at Syracuse University and the University of California at Berkeley. She has written eight books. Her research, experience, approach and writing style reflect deep insight as well as many specific suggestions regarding education, trigger warnings, cancel culture, and critical race theory.
Rather than banning books, she recommends that teachers (and I am adding parents) learn how to discuss, review, read and evaluate controversial topics and books. Appleman is concerned about removing books from the classroom that deal with the grittier aspects of life because one of the obligations of writers is to represent reality. And reality is ugly---it's full of complexities and moral dilemmas.
Appleman shares in detail that book banning and cancel culture efforts are coming from both the right and the left political parties. There is an intolerance of opposing views by both political parties. We are steadily narrowing the boundaries of what can and can't be said. We have cancelled out a culture of forgiveness. Cancel culture is a new form of bullying.
She shares examples where students have told their English literature professors that they can't read anything that deals with death, violence, abuse, explicit sex, dysfunctional families, and other topics due to triggers. Trigger warnings have moved from optional to mandatory in many schools despite research that indicates that trigger warnings are not effective. The broader issue about challenging topics in books is that literature helps us learn to think and encourages us to feel and life is very messy. We read to experience discomfort. Appleman states that we need books that affect us like a disaster.
We need to read about history: slavery, Holocaust, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, George Floyd's death, mass shootings, COVID, etc. because disagreement, discomfort, and dissonance are required for personal and intellectual growth. It is dangerous to erase our past because literature reflects varied human experiences.
Some of the memorable passages include:
* Literature can carry the reader to many unexpected places. Our roles as teachers of literature is to not predetermine their destination.
* Books become part of our life story and part of our soul.
* A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.
* (Deb Stone): Art occurs at the intersection of experience and danger.
* (Brooklyn Museum about a lynching exhibit): We believe that great art and courageous conversations contribute to a more just, civic, and empathetic world.
* (Nadine Gordimer): Non-fiction uses facts to help us see lies. Fiction uses metaphor to help us see the truth.
* (Jill Filipovic): The point of literature and education is not to meet people where they are but to have the potential to take them somewhere else.
* To read literature is to learn to read the world in all of its complexities.
Thank you, Deborah Appleman, for this small but mighty impactful MUST READ book.
July 1, 2023
Literature and the New Culture Wars by Deborah Applebaum is excellent reading for literature teachers, librarians or anyone interested in the tsunami of outrage from both right and left extremists over literature that offends them. Because god forbid anyone be offended. They may learn something. Applebaum exams the (distressing) prevalence of trigger warnings and the banning of books for various reasons. She provides reasonable advice for literature educators in how to deal with troublesome books and how to keep them in the classroom.
Applebaum addresses the purpose of reading literature and how that is being stripped down to mere mechanics, avoiding the more personal and rewarding reasons for reading:
Cancel culture and the #MeToo movement both want to rid the reading world of books that portray characters, particularly women and minorities, in a way that they do not like. If they perceive racism, sexism, or another “ism” disagreeable to them, they want the book banned or pulled from shelves in libraries and not taught in schools. These people fail to understand that the authors’ intent was either to display these attitudes and situations to reflect reality and provoke a strong reaction from the reader, to make the reader think, or these are historical works of fiction reflecting the current culture. You cannot judge the values of an 18th century world with a 21st century mindset. You can disagree, you can see how it is wrong, but remember: some day someone will read books written today and what the hell is wrong with us. Authors are personally being attacked for perceived or actual behavior or actions on their part. Should a moral litmus test be applied to authors? Do they have to meet our codes of appropriate conduct before they are allowed to be published, read, taught? And whose code of conduct applies?
Applebaum has a lot to say about trigger warnings. I think trigger warnings are complete bullshit. Everyday life is full of events to distress and discomfort us and there are no warnings for them. Not only that, if something seriously awful has happened to you (abuse, rape, etc.), it’s more than likely in your head no matter what. The author uses examples of how other schools deal with problematic texts and the one that make the most sense is: letting the student decide for him/herself if the material is too traumatic and leave the room, ask for another assignment, etc. A blanket trigger (which can cover many situations) doesn’t help—and studies have shown this (59). Applebaum debates the usefulness of trigger warnings to help truly traumatized students vs the problems triggers cause. She believes they are used too often to warn students of uncomfortable facts about historical events and disagrees with this. Witnessing is an important part of education: “People actually suffered this and lived through it; the least you can do is to be a witness to it for them” (64).
Another way of dealing with troublesome/targeted books (and authors) is to teach the controversy. Present the conflict to the students and let the students discuss it. This way they see both sides of the argument, can educate themselves and learn from the controversy. Deciding for students seems to be an unhelpful and condescending educational attitude. Kids are smarter than that. If I were a teacher, this is probably the approach I would use. I hate decisions being made for me and I wouldn’t want to show that kind of insulting disrespect to my students. Let them decide if they can handle a text or not. Or if the controversy is overblown nonsense.
Literature and the New Culture Wars is an excellent book. Applebaum thoughtfully examines the motives and priorities of those who wish to limit access to certain books and provides reasonable arguments for continuing to teach even the most troublesome and targeted books. This is a great resource for educators. I’m going to end with this quote from James Baldwin:
Applebaum addresses the purpose of reading literature and how that is being stripped down to mere mechanics, avoiding the more personal and rewarding reasons for reading:
Although the teaching of literacy skills is clearly important, the teaching of literature is about much more than delivering skills. Reading literature has larger purposes, including an invitation to reflect on oneself and one’s culture, developing empathy and understanding of others, and developing aesthetic sensibilities, among other goals (9).While the author supports the idea of reexaming the teaching of books that distress students, she believes there is a strong difference between distress and discomfort. We should read books that discomfort us and question our ideas about ourselves, our place in the world, and our beliefs. Not only that, we read for discomfort all the time; the plots of our mysteries, thrillers and romances, the trials and tribulations of our favorite characters—we read these books because we enjoy the discomfort of not knowing the outcome, to experience places and people different from us. “If we remove all literary works with texture, complexity, and realism, what will remain for our students? A rote curriculum completely devoid of the opportunity to confront and discuss real world issues in a safe space? A menu of readings that does not provoke, disrupt, or challenge?
I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound or stab us. If the book we’re reading doesn’t wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for? So that it will make us happy, as you write? Good Lord, we would be happy precisely if we had no books, and the kind of books that make us happy are the kind we could write ourselves if we had to. But we need books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into the forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. That is my belief (12).I agree, Kafka. Some of the most powerful, most memorable books I have ever read are the ones that hit me like an axe and affected me deeply.
Cancel culture and the #MeToo movement both want to rid the reading world of books that portray characters, particularly women and minorities, in a way that they do not like. If they perceive racism, sexism, or another “ism” disagreeable to them, they want the book banned or pulled from shelves in libraries and not taught in schools. These people fail to understand that the authors’ intent was either to display these attitudes and situations to reflect reality and provoke a strong reaction from the reader, to make the reader think, or these are historical works of fiction reflecting the current culture. You cannot judge the values of an 18th century world with a 21st century mindset. You can disagree, you can see how it is wrong, but remember: some day someone will read books written today and what the hell is wrong with us. Authors are personally being attacked for perceived or actual behavior or actions on their part. Should a moral litmus test be applied to authors? Do they have to meet our codes of appropriate conduct before they are allowed to be published, read, taught? And whose code of conduct applies?
Applebaum has a lot to say about trigger warnings. I think trigger warnings are complete bullshit. Everyday life is full of events to distress and discomfort us and there are no warnings for them. Not only that, if something seriously awful has happened to you (abuse, rape, etc.), it’s more than likely in your head no matter what. The author uses examples of how other schools deal with problematic texts and the one that make the most sense is: letting the student decide for him/herself if the material is too traumatic and leave the room, ask for another assignment, etc. A blanket trigger (which can cover many situations) doesn’t help—and studies have shown this (59). Applebaum debates the usefulness of trigger warnings to help truly traumatized students vs the problems triggers cause. She believes they are used too often to warn students of uncomfortable facts about historical events and disagrees with this. Witnessing is an important part of education: “People actually suffered this and lived through it; the least you can do is to be a witness to it for them” (64).
Another way of dealing with troublesome/targeted books (and authors) is to teach the controversy. Present the conflict to the students and let the students discuss it. This way they see both sides of the argument, can educate themselves and learn from the controversy. Deciding for students seems to be an unhelpful and condescending educational attitude. Kids are smarter than that. If I were a teacher, this is probably the approach I would use. I hate decisions being made for me and I wouldn’t want to show that kind of insulting disrespect to my students. Let them decide if they can handle a text or not. Or if the controversy is overblown nonsense.
Literature and the New Culture Wars is an excellent book. Applebaum thoughtfully examines the motives and priorities of those who wish to limit access to certain books and provides reasonable arguments for continuing to teach even the most troublesome and targeted books. This is a great resource for educators. I’m going to end with this quote from James Baldwin:
The paradox of education is precisely this—that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his own identity. But no society is really anxious to have that kind of person around. What societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which will simply obey the rules of society. If a society succeeds in this, that society is about to perish. The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and fight it—at no matter the risk. This is the only hope society has. This is the only way societies change (140).
September 7, 2022
Appleman’s book, and a frustratingly short one at that, charts that middle course that many educators have been trying to follow — one that embraces controversy because it allows our students agency and better opportunities to learn, and one that simultaneously does not water down a curriculum in the appearance, and often from good intentions, of diversity or safety.
This bite-sized polemic takes on the extremes from the left and the right that threaten the work teachers do with their students, which is never about indoctrination, but always about how to think and respond critically to, well, anything.
That’s not to say that teachers don’t have work to do on canon and curriculum — but rather than banning, ignoring, or removing all troublesome texts, perhaps we should all consider what can be gained from a classroom exploration of the good and bad that can be found in said text, with teacher support, and what window or mirror that text shows to us, be it in the past or the present.
I rate this five stars even though I want more case studies and literature discussion. The book challenges some of my own ideas, which is why I read, and succinctly puts what I have been thinking on others.
This bite-sized polemic takes on the extremes from the left and the right that threaten the work teachers do with their students, which is never about indoctrination, but always about how to think and respond critically to, well, anything.
That’s not to say that teachers don’t have work to do on canon and curriculum — but rather than banning, ignoring, or removing all troublesome texts, perhaps we should all consider what can be gained from a classroom exploration of the good and bad that can be found in said text, with teacher support, and what window or mirror that text shows to us, be it in the past or the present.
I rate this five stars even though I want more case studies and literature discussion. The book challenges some of my own ideas, which is why I read, and succinctly puts what I have been thinking on others.
March 11, 2023
the chapter on "cancel culture".....its actually fine to not read a book by a terf or a pervert.....
November 17, 2022
I found the text somewhat repetitive and some of it did not apply to me as a librarian, but more to the target audience of English teachers, I appreciated the author's take and the questions posted. It certainly got me thinking in new ways. I think it's a valuable, accessible resource for all teachers of literature.
December 6, 2023
A short but powerful book that discusses “cancel culture,” particularly literature in our classrooms.
It’s hard to write a book that is unbiased (which Appleman addresses directly), but she does a good job of it. Appleman doesn’t attack either side of the argument, but points out their flaws and makes her case.
A favorite quote: “We seem to have moved beyond the division of political parties, into a kind of cultural tribalism.”
Recommend this for all educators and all parents.
It’s hard to write a book that is unbiased (which Appleman addresses directly), but she does a good job of it. Appleman doesn’t attack either side of the argument, but points out their flaws and makes her case.
A favorite quote: “We seem to have moved beyond the division of political parties, into a kind of cultural tribalism.”
Recommend this for all educators and all parents.
April 12, 2023
This an excellent resource about what is happening on our campuses--on both sides of the political aisle and a push for why literature needs to be taught.
February 22, 2023
This book provides a delightfully nuanced and forward- thinking perspective on what we should teach and how we should teach it. A lifeboat in the horrible sea of our current culture wars about who should learn what and how and where, this text provides a way to put empathy into action
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November 24, 2022Literature and the New Culture Wars is a fairly short book at about 140 pages (not counting notes at the end), and I gulped it down all in one sitting. Deborah Appleman does a thorough, fair, and nuanced job of examining current issues of censorship and self-censorship in the classroom.
As a library worker, and just as a person reading the news lately, I had been craving just this sort of thing. I especially appreciated that Appleman does her best to acknowledge different sides of various issues for a well-rounded understanding of the debate. She is not writing to be inflamatory but to ask some really good questions about what we as a culture are doing and thinking around this subject, and why, and what the consequences might be.
This book is pretty academic. The target audience is teachers, mostly at high school and middle school English teachers. That said, I think it's on the accessible side of academic writing, and it's a must-read for anyone who's been following the book-banning headlines.
In terms of potential political slant, I'd say that although she delves into book challenges on both the left and the right, her focus is more on challenges from the left. She devotes most of the book to cancel culture, political correctness, trigger warnings, and woke culture—but also to critiquing the push to ban critical race theory in schools. This is not a conservative book or an attack on liberals; in fact, I suspect the author is pretty liberal herself from some of the comments she makes and scholars she quotes. What she is ultimately arguing for is letting teachers teach—giving them academic freedom. She is in favor of allowing teachers to challenge their students, foster their critical thinking, and include them in the debate, instead of pressuring teachers to remove every book that they anticipate might trouble students or cause controversy.
A thought-provoking and timely read.
As a library worker, and just as a person reading the news lately, I had been craving just this sort of thing. I especially appreciated that Appleman does her best to acknowledge different sides of various issues for a well-rounded understanding of the debate. She is not writing to be inflamatory but to ask some really good questions about what we as a culture are doing and thinking around this subject, and why, and what the consequences might be.
This book is pretty academic. The target audience is teachers, mostly at high school and middle school English teachers. That said, I think it's on the accessible side of academic writing, and it's a must-read for anyone who's been following the book-banning headlines.
In terms of potential political slant, I'd say that although she delves into book challenges on both the left and the right, her focus is more on challenges from the left. She devotes most of the book to cancel culture, political correctness, trigger warnings, and woke culture—but also to critiquing the push to ban critical race theory in schools. This is not a conservative book or an attack on liberals; in fact, I suspect the author is pretty liberal herself from some of the comments she makes and scholars she quotes. What she is ultimately arguing for is letting teachers teach—giving them academic freedom. She is in favor of allowing teachers to challenge their students, foster their critical thinking, and include them in the debate, instead of pressuring teachers to remove every book that they anticipate might trouble students or cause controversy.
A thought-provoking and timely read.
February 14, 2023
Recently, I reread Octavia E. Butler's 1979 novel Kindred after nearly 20 years to evaluate to maybe teach next year to my high school English 12 classes. It's a great book of course with a lot to offer about how our troubled history shapes us, and it's approachable enough that the students might actually engage with it. In rereading it, though, all I could think of was the potential pushback. Conservative parents might accuse me of teaching critical race theory (not that I'd know how to) while progressive parents might object to the number of racial slurs in the book or that Butler attempts to see horrible slave owners as human beings. Kids might be traumatized by the book's depictions of violence and sexual abuse. It's a lot to think about, and these are the potential minefields Deborah Appleman covers in her book Literature and the New Culture Wars. It's a decent book, overall, charitable to all stakeholders while balanced and never partisan, and Appleman's ultimate advice--that we should teach problematic texts and also teach what makes them problematic--seems like the most sensible way forward. Then again, whoever accused our current divisive discourse of being sensible? I'm not sure Appleman's conclusions aren't self-evident or that the book is an essential tome for teachers or the culture war fatigued among us, but it's a quick and easy read and, you know, sensible, which certainly isn't nothing.
January 10, 2023
This was a surprise gem for me. Found it was browsing the new book shelf at the library and only after I brought it home did I realize I could use it for a reading challenge so win-win!
While I'm not exactly the audience for this book (though I do have a degree in English) I think this discussion on the culture wars, and what/how to teach certain fictional work in the classroom, is an important topic for the country at large. The pendulum swings so far one way or the other and the author is stressing the need to teach students how to think and not what to think. As another author has said, we need to stop outsourcing our critical thinking. If we no long teach it in the classroom we are in trouble. Time to bring back nuance.
While I'm not exactly the audience for this book (though I do have a degree in English) I think this discussion on the culture wars, and what/how to teach certain fictional work in the classroom, is an important topic for the country at large. The pendulum swings so far one way or the other and the author is stressing the need to teach students how to think and not what to think. As another author has said, we need to stop outsourcing our critical thinking. If we no long teach it in the classroom we are in trouble. Time to bring back nuance.
September 26, 2022
Exceptional book for English teachers and readers who want a deeper understanding on our current culture and the key role literature plays in our world. A MUST READ for our times!!!
April 4, 2023
I don’t disagree, it’s just not a good read! Academic paper about cancel culture’s impact on teaching / reading literature.
July 27, 2023
For a book as small and compact as this, there's quite a bit of unnecessary repetition, further flawed by an undeniable rush to publish without simple edits (consonant for consistent; empathic for empathetic; complied for compiled; etc). Still, I picked this up at a corner bookstore in Halifax, Nova Scotia while my wife and I were on summer vacation, largely because I knew that in August, I'd be stepping into the world of English Language Arts for the first time after 13 years of teaching math, science, and coding. To that end, Appleman does a reasonable job outlining several of the challenges currently haunting anyone who teaches (or plans to teach) literature at a secondary or postsecondary level. What she almost wholly ignores is the impact of these culture wars on students within K-8, which is where I'm heading. So this is a book that had its limitations, not necessarily because of its size, but because her scope was too narrow and too hurried.
March 22, 2023
Siento que todos los libros que estoy leyendo del tema deberían estar mas profundizados. Este libro al menos se enfoca mas en hablar sobre lo educativo, como enseñar literatura en medio de esta guerra de Cancelación. Hay cosas que coinciden con mi perspectiva, y una que otra que me hace querer responder. Me parece un buen texto además de que selecciona otras lecturas que pueden hacerse para seguir profundizando en este tema tan actual, del que es necesario hacer un análisis concienzudo.
January 18, 2023
Good book about teaching literature and how v both the left and right are using a mob mentality and social media to get rid of literature that has been taught and read for decades. There’s pride in getting public or private entities to stop publishing works or taking them off public shelves. Important for people to speak out again.
February 14, 2023
Amazing! A agreed with nearly everything Appleman writes. She is a self proclaimed liberal and understand the value of having nearly all perspectives at the table—refreshing!
July 2, 2024
Essentially a long essay about book censorship from both sides of the aisle. A long way to say that there are always way to teach “problematic” materials if you go about it the right way
February 6, 2023
Appleman makes some strong specific points, especially about specific works in regards to the culture of literature. However, her analysis in general regarding the culture of literature lacks any ah-ha moments. The work often seem to address the same concerns/issues. Nevertheless, if one is an English teacher facing challenges with text this book may offer some insight into arguments or at least kick-starters to arguments in facing the challenges. My favorite sections were chapters 1 (Introduction) and 5.
February 14, 2023
This was SO well done. I'll write a full review when I have time to sit down and look through my notes, because I have lots of thoughts on this topic.
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At first glance, this may seem like an odd book for me to pick up. I’ve made it very clear that I have no intention of ever being a high school teacher. The content is still relevant to teaching in a college setting (and a middle/elementary school setting as well, for the record), but I’m still years away from teaching, even if I do decide I want to at some point.
However, as an aspiring writer, I think this is absolutely a topic worth considering. What is the purpose of art? What type of content should be put out in the world? What should be promoted? Where is the line between author and text? All of these are incredibly important questions to ask yourself if you want to create art.
“Distress is different than discomfort.”
This concept is SUCH an important dividing line to consider with this topic.
You should absolutely read things that challenge you, that make you angry, that make you uncomfortable. I’ve been moved almost to tears by my assigned readings before, and I think that’s exactly what a classroom should be doing. I’ve had classes expose me to certain circumstances people are in that influenced how I view certain issues. If you don’t learn and grow, what’s the point of school? Just like going to the gym, part of growing intellectually involves discomfort, even pain, to a certain extent.
However, that’s different from causing harm and distress (the gym metaphor holds true). She talks about how she changed her curriculum one year to remove particular texts when a student at her school committed suicide. It’s not that those texts have no place in a classroom, or should never be taught. She didn’t bring that up to say she never taught them again. It’s that in that particular situation, to those specific students, those texts would be more distressing than helpful.
Overall, this book is well structured and clearly (and, in my opinion, fairly) presents multiple sides to the argument and several practical solutions. It’s also very readable (if a bit repetitive in places, as academic writing often is) and, even if I don’t agree with everything, it’s very thought provoking.
Random thoughts I had while reading:
—It seems like the author is arguing that the issue with switching up the canon is when the focus is on what's excluded and why rather than what's included and why. There are so many authors that have for so long been overlooked. But when exclusion takes priority over inclusion, it feels more like censorship.
—Indirect advocacy makes it tricky for deciding what's too heavy to teach. It’s absolutely important to speak up for people who are in a more vulnerable position than yourself, but when discussing what’s appropriate for a specific setting and a specific place, you need to bear in mind the specific people who will actually be exposed to the text the teacher wants to teach in a particular classroom.
—I kept thinking of Lolita as I read this. It was a book that I really wish I had the chance to read in a classroom setting, and I’m actually glad that particular text was brought up. I, too, would have a hard time letting a tenth grader read it, but teaching how to read it critically (for example, through the lens of feminist theory) is probably the best way to do so.
—Probably the biggest flaw in her logic was how she talked about trigger warnings lead to not teaching texts at all. It makes her come down hard on an aspect that, while multi-faceted, isn’t quite as bad as she seems to be making it out to be. Now, I have no idea how it actually plays out in a classroom setting. Maybe seeing all the harsh parts of a story laid out makes parents react negatively, or more students refuse to read something they would actually have no problems with. But I wish that logical leap was spelled out rather than assumed.
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At first glance, this may seem like an odd book for me to pick up. I’ve made it very clear that I have no intention of ever being a high school teacher. The content is still relevant to teaching in a college setting (and a middle/elementary school setting as well, for the record), but I’m still years away from teaching, even if I do decide I want to at some point.
However, as an aspiring writer, I think this is absolutely a topic worth considering. What is the purpose of art? What type of content should be put out in the world? What should be promoted? Where is the line between author and text? All of these are incredibly important questions to ask yourself if you want to create art.
“Distress is different than discomfort.”
This concept is SUCH an important dividing line to consider with this topic.
You should absolutely read things that challenge you, that make you angry, that make you uncomfortable. I’ve been moved almost to tears by my assigned readings before, and I think that’s exactly what a classroom should be doing. I’ve had classes expose me to certain circumstances people are in that influenced how I view certain issues. If you don’t learn and grow, what’s the point of school? Just like going to the gym, part of growing intellectually involves discomfort, even pain, to a certain extent.
However, that’s different from causing harm and distress (the gym metaphor holds true). She talks about how she changed her curriculum one year to remove particular texts when a student at her school committed suicide. It’s not that those texts have no place in a classroom, or should never be taught. She didn’t bring that up to say she never taught them again. It’s that in that particular situation, to those specific students, those texts would be more distressing than helpful.
Overall, this book is well structured and clearly (and, in my opinion, fairly) presents multiple sides to the argument and several practical solutions. It’s also very readable (if a bit repetitive in places, as academic writing often is) and, even if I don’t agree with everything, it’s very thought provoking.
Random thoughts I had while reading:
—It seems like the author is arguing that the issue with switching up the canon is when the focus is on what's excluded and why rather than what's included and why. There are so many authors that have for so long been overlooked. But when exclusion takes priority over inclusion, it feels more like censorship.
—Indirect advocacy makes it tricky for deciding what's too heavy to teach. It’s absolutely important to speak up for people who are in a more vulnerable position than yourself, but when discussing what’s appropriate for a specific setting and a specific place, you need to bear in mind the specific people who will actually be exposed to the text the teacher wants to teach in a particular classroom.
—I kept thinking of Lolita as I read this. It was a book that I really wish I had the chance to read in a classroom setting, and I’m actually glad that particular text was brought up. I, too, would have a hard time letting a tenth grader read it, but teaching how to read it critically (for example, through the lens of feminist theory) is probably the best way to do so.
—Probably the biggest flaw in her logic was how she talked about trigger warnings lead to not teaching texts at all. It makes her come down hard on an aspect that, while multi-faceted, isn’t quite as bad as she seems to be making it out to be. Now, I have no idea how it actually plays out in a classroom setting. Maybe seeing all the harsh parts of a story laid out makes parents react negatively, or more students refuse to read something they would actually have no problems with. But I wish that logical leap was spelled out rather than assumed.
March 18, 2023
Problematic books shouldn’t be banned. Because they are problematic, they should be taught. "Huck Finn", "Mice and Men" and "Merchant of Venice" all have aspects that are difficult to modern readers, but they are also literary works are multidimensional and can expand a reader's perspective. Qualification is still necessary, and Deborah Appleman, praises the growing need for a diverse range of writers and critics to enter the discussion of the revised canon. She also explores the challenges of books that may be goodwill, but have the effect of limiting students from experiences to discover their humanity. These concerns are classically on the right - fears of government/administrative banning books that are not “woke” or “politically correct”. Fears on the left exist to not inflict trauma or contribute to systematic oppression. This has resulted in an ahistorical uprooting of literary works and their creators.
We should be concerned by this heightened willingness to cancel. Quoting Dyostevosky, she comments on how books tie us to humanity - in all its messiness. The experience of reading is not to teach a set of skills of an ideological orthodoxy, but to experience a reality. Humanities may be a bygone word, but it feels the most appropriate. She quotes another writer, reflecting on the emotional aridity of social media outrage,Chimmanda Ngozi Adichie (p.134) stated “there are many social-media-savvy people who are choking on sanctimony and lacking in compassion, who can fluidly pontificate on Twitter about kindness but are unable to actually show kindness” (p.134). We can see these fears at every level of the educational system. From LGBT books in elementary schools, to critical race theory or federalist teachings at prominent law schools.
The culture wars have not entered the classroom, they have always been there. And it does seem especially ironic that these conversations seem to happen outside of the student body themselves. Students are having concerns about race and privillege irregardless of the content. And all the more reason to have difficult and grounded conversations with literature. The social justice lens, in theory to help remove problematic writers and systematic racism, has adversely impacted these goals too. Modern canon writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison have been deemed inappropriate due to sensitivities in their content. Like all great literary art (Shakespeare, Steinbeck, Nabokov, Twain), they reflect truths about their time and this time - and illuminate emotional truths to help us navigate our own identity.
The trigger warnings, cancellations, and reductive literary lens may ultimately leave students impoverished from their own experience to become free-thinking citizens. The perturbations of the pandemic, economic uncertainty, racial disparities, and distancing from technology have strengthened the tribal bubbles (p.120). Broader narratives and ideology are certainly driving factors of these conversations. Appleman doesn’t happen to have a single solution - although intratextual analysis and more books seems like a very large part of the solution. A less reductive approach toward history and identity would be helpful. Our ability to navigate our shared texts and worldview will ultimately depend on an ability to see each other in all our messiness. The richness of our literature will depend on this as well.
We should be concerned by this heightened willingness to cancel. Quoting Dyostevosky, she comments on how books tie us to humanity - in all its messiness. The experience of reading is not to teach a set of skills of an ideological orthodoxy, but to experience a reality. Humanities may be a bygone word, but it feels the most appropriate. She quotes another writer, reflecting on the emotional aridity of social media outrage,Chimmanda Ngozi Adichie (p.134) stated “there are many social-media-savvy people who are choking on sanctimony and lacking in compassion, who can fluidly pontificate on Twitter about kindness but are unable to actually show kindness” (p.134). We can see these fears at every level of the educational system. From LGBT books in elementary schools, to critical race theory or federalist teachings at prominent law schools.
The culture wars have not entered the classroom, they have always been there. And it does seem especially ironic that these conversations seem to happen outside of the student body themselves. Students are having concerns about race and privillege irregardless of the content. And all the more reason to have difficult and grounded conversations with literature. The social justice lens, in theory to help remove problematic writers and systematic racism, has adversely impacted these goals too. Modern canon writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison have been deemed inappropriate due to sensitivities in their content. Like all great literary art (Shakespeare, Steinbeck, Nabokov, Twain), they reflect truths about their time and this time - and illuminate emotional truths to help us navigate our own identity.
The trigger warnings, cancellations, and reductive literary lens may ultimately leave students impoverished from their own experience to become free-thinking citizens. The perturbations of the pandemic, economic uncertainty, racial disparities, and distancing from technology have strengthened the tribal bubbles (p.120). Broader narratives and ideology are certainly driving factors of these conversations. Appleman doesn’t happen to have a single solution - although intratextual analysis and more books seems like a very large part of the solution. A less reductive approach toward history and identity would be helpful. Our ability to navigate our shared texts and worldview will ultimately depend on an ability to see each other in all our messiness. The richness of our literature will depend on this as well.
April 26, 2023
While I do not agree with much of Appleman’s arguments that society in itself is capitulating to the “Twitter mob” (I will get to this in a moment), her works outlying the gravity of censorship, unwarranted ridicule, and ignorance touch me greatly. It would be a heavy understatement to say that I love reading. A hobby and pastime I held deeply in myself when I was a kid was lost due to a variety of different reasons but was once again rediscovered during my time in college. As a history buff, I have always been aware of the consequences of “repeating history” due to neglect of our past and/or ignorance, something Appleman clearly highlights in her novel. Appleman touches on the fact that we are abandoning our duty of vigilance by tossing out “problematic” works simply because they do not conform to our current societal standards. While unnerving to open up “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” due to its racist imagery and misogyny and the like, I believe it is imperative to read such books in order to understand the context, themes, and stories behind these books in order to better understand ourselves as people, our history, and values. As someone who identifies as far-Left, I periodically read books and articles that do not conform to my own personal beliefs and opinions but it’s a way to learn from the mistakes of others and our past.
That all being said, I truly believe Appleman is doing a massive disservice by heavily implying that the “woke Twitter mobs” are the main culprits of the culture war casualties in her book. On the topic of critical thinking, question this: who is responsible for the eradication of history books and classic novels that elicit thought and fruitful discussion? Random Twitter users who are upset about a recent book’s discussion on rape or an authors complicated history or legislators pushing for the outright banning of books, overhauling educational curriculums which jeopardize teachers AND children’s academic freedom, and singling out books that discuss sexuality, race, and America’s less than stellar history? While social push back can be a strong force especially in the Age of the Internet, always remember who has true power, both formal and informal. Applemans disingenuous attempt to brand the Left as the meddlesome party of censorship and culture wars truly hinders our ability to articulate who the real enemy to literature is: the populist hard line right wing.
That all being said, I truly believe Appleman is doing a massive disservice by heavily implying that the “woke Twitter mobs” are the main culprits of the culture war casualties in her book. On the topic of critical thinking, question this: who is responsible for the eradication of history books and classic novels that elicit thought and fruitful discussion? Random Twitter users who are upset about a recent book’s discussion on rape or an authors complicated history or legislators pushing for the outright banning of books, overhauling educational curriculums which jeopardize teachers AND children’s academic freedom, and singling out books that discuss sexuality, race, and America’s less than stellar history? While social push back can be a strong force especially in the Age of the Internet, always remember who has true power, both formal and informal. Applemans disingenuous attempt to brand the Left as the meddlesome party of censorship and culture wars truly hinders our ability to articulate who the real enemy to literature is: the populist hard line right wing.
March 24, 2025
There is much that Appleman says that I agree with. Yet I found myself in general a bit underwhelmed by the book. In part this is because Appleman addresses cancel culture and includes examples of writers whose books were either self-pulled or published pulled prior to publication because of online reaction, including reaction of those who perhaps hadn't read the book in question. I know that one of the stories she mentioned was a bit more complicated than she suggests (is pushing back a publication date to make changes truly canceling the book?). However, like most people who talk about cancel culture, she doesn't fully address the difference between cancelling and the consumer's right to boycott. Also, let's be honest, is J K Rowling really canceled? She's still raking in the cash. She still publishes and her books sell.
I also found the comment, "if a teacher chooses not to teach a book, he or she is participating in cancel culture" to be a bit too general. I know that she is really referring to books/authors that have come under fire for whatever reason. But choosing a book to teach is a complex thing, even if we pretend it isn't. If I switch out The Handmaid's Tale for Parable of the Sower or vice versa, simply because I need a break from teaching the book, am I cancelling the author? It reminds me of that on Twitter when a romance author posted an article about a group choosing a book for a freshmen read at a college and people piled on the then former student interviewed in the article because she said she joined the group because she didn't want a chick lit book to be chosen (or something like that).
Also I view the Disrupt Texts idea as a form of criticism, so I don't understand the problems with that.
And yes the book was written in 2022, but it is hard note to notice that most of her examples come from what would/could be term leftists canceling books (i.e. because of the sexism in Shakespeare, or the fact that the writer was a harasser) as opposed to from both sides of the political spectrum. I will note that the section on CRT is quite good. Appleman also does not strike one as a conservative.
It reads more like a mediation of her trying to figure things out. Which is fine, but as a teacher who thinks about this as well, there isn't anything new here for me.
I also found the comment, "if a teacher chooses not to teach a book, he or she is participating in cancel culture" to be a bit too general. I know that she is really referring to books/authors that have come under fire for whatever reason. But choosing a book to teach is a complex thing, even if we pretend it isn't. If I switch out The Handmaid's Tale for Parable of the Sower or vice versa, simply because I need a break from teaching the book, am I cancelling the author? It reminds me of that on Twitter when a romance author posted an article about a group choosing a book for a freshmen read at a college and people piled on the then former student interviewed in the article because she said she joined the group because she didn't want a chick lit book to be chosen (or something like that).
Also I view the Disrupt Texts idea as a form of criticism, so I don't understand the problems with that.
And yes the book was written in 2022, but it is hard note to notice that most of her examples come from what would/could be term leftists canceling books (i.e. because of the sexism in Shakespeare, or the fact that the writer was a harasser) as opposed to from both sides of the political spectrum. I will note that the section on CRT is quite good. Appleman also does not strike one as a conservative.
It reads more like a mediation of her trying to figure things out. Which is fine, but as a teacher who thinks about this as well, there isn't anything new here for me.
November 7, 2023
"Literature and the New Culture Wars" by Deborah Appleman is the current selection for my S.E.E.D. book club. I know this text is not for everyone, but it was perfect for me at this moment! Appleman examines (p. 125) "...the teaching of troublesome texts in these troubling times." As a former secondary Language Arts teacher and secondary Library Media Specialist who was involved in an ugly book challenge, and who is deeply troubled by the current book banning craze, I found Appleman's work timely and important.
Takeaways:
1. Appleman puts down on paper, in a clear manner, all of the important elements of of this issue. She covers the reasons for the current trend to challenge the teaching of both literary works considered classics and more contemporary texts:
(p. 104) - "For all of these reasons - inappropriate language, questionable moral conduct of the author, insensitive portrayal of women and other groups, the transmission of a problematic set of beliefs about the world, disturbing subject matter, perpetuated stereotypes - these texts have been rendered unteachable. But are they?"
Appleman also examines alternatives to simply avoiding "troublesome" texts. She says, (p. 105) "Perhaps there is a better way to deal with troublesome texts rather than make the books completely disappear to turn them into fodder for commentary about their political incorrectness." She suggests:
- (p.107) "teaching the controversy or teaching the conflict"
- (p. 110) - "critical lenses"
- (p.112) - "unmooring anchor texts"
- (p. 113) - "pairing texts"
2. Many complain that the text is repetitive. I appreciated this as I tried to wrap my head around this complex issue.
3. Appleman's work is well-supported with examples, quotes from reputable sources, etc.
4. This should be a required read for all current Language Arts teachers and Library Media Specialists - maybe even for teachers in general.
5. I especially appreciated "Literature and the New Culture Wars" as a metaphor for what is happening in the world today. This is one very important example of why we all need to pay attention to things we might consider small and unimportant.
A really important read! Highly recommended!
Takeaways:
1. Appleman puts down on paper, in a clear manner, all of the important elements of of this issue. She covers the reasons for the current trend to challenge the teaching of both literary works considered classics and more contemporary texts:
(p. 104) - "For all of these reasons - inappropriate language, questionable moral conduct of the author, insensitive portrayal of women and other groups, the transmission of a problematic set of beliefs about the world, disturbing subject matter, perpetuated stereotypes - these texts have been rendered unteachable. But are they?"
Appleman also examines alternatives to simply avoiding "troublesome" texts. She says, (p. 105) "Perhaps there is a better way to deal with troublesome texts rather than make the books completely disappear to turn them into fodder for commentary about their political incorrectness." She suggests:
- (p.107) "teaching the controversy or teaching the conflict"
- (p. 110) - "critical lenses"
- (p.112) - "unmooring anchor texts"
- (p. 113) - "pairing texts"
2. Many complain that the text is repetitive. I appreciated this as I tried to wrap my head around this complex issue.
3. Appleman's work is well-supported with examples, quotes from reputable sources, etc.
4. This should be a required read for all current Language Arts teachers and Library Media Specialists - maybe even for teachers in general.
5. I especially appreciated "Literature and the New Culture Wars" as a metaphor for what is happening in the world today. This is one very important example of why we all need to pay attention to things we might consider small and unimportant.
A really important read! Highly recommended!
February 27, 2023
I'm a big fan of Deborah Appleman's work as both teacher and scholar, and this book resonated with me in both areas--as a citizen of a country I find more and more polarized and divided, and as an a high school English teacher struggling to cultivate spaces for young people to discuss challenging topics that matter to them.
It takes guts to critique or challenge 'cancel culture' from the left! And I think Appleman handles that challenge very well in this book. One of the big takeaways I got from it as a teacher is when confronted with a controversial text to 'teach the controversy.'
This really is a book about values. What values do we hold as readers? As writers? As teachers of reading and writing? Justice is key for liberal / progressive teachers like me and Professor Appleman. But she presents at the same time equally important values less popular in an era like this one: historical nuance and context as well as understanding and compassion for viewpoints different from our own.
I have also read and admire Professor Appleman's powerful book about teaching creative writing in the prison system, WORDS NO BARS CAN HOLD. I remember the quote that starts out that book, "Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done." (I don't remember who that's from!)
But that spirit--of engagement, encounter, curiosity, care--permeates this book as well. In some ways, the message Appleman has to deliver would be much harder (maybe impossible0 to take if it weren't coming from a person who lives those values.
Anyway, all that is to say, I recommend this book!
All peace.
Zach
It takes guts to critique or challenge 'cancel culture' from the left! And I think Appleman handles that challenge very well in this book. One of the big takeaways I got from it as a teacher is when confronted with a controversial text to 'teach the controversy.'
This really is a book about values. What values do we hold as readers? As writers? As teachers of reading and writing? Justice is key for liberal / progressive teachers like me and Professor Appleman. But she presents at the same time equally important values less popular in an era like this one: historical nuance and context as well as understanding and compassion for viewpoints different from our own.
I have also read and admire Professor Appleman's powerful book about teaching creative writing in the prison system, WORDS NO BARS CAN HOLD. I remember the quote that starts out that book, "Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done." (I don't remember who that's from!)
But that spirit--of engagement, encounter, curiosity, care--permeates this book as well. In some ways, the message Appleman has to deliver would be much harder (maybe impossible0 to take if it weren't coming from a person who lives those values.
Anyway, all that is to say, I recommend this book!
All peace.
Zach
February 17, 2023
While written through a teacher's lens, LITERATURE AND THE NEW CULTURE WARS is a book that is absolutely accessible beyond the four walls of a classroom. And, quite honestly, would be beneficial for anyone who reads.
During a time when reading has become more politicized than ever, Appleman uses the space in this short book to dig deep into what is lost when we determine authors and their books are no longer worthy of reading. Written from a pedagogical standpoint on the ways in which removing literature from discourse also denies the potential for critical thinking skill development, I applaud her for the approach.
What is lost when a select few determine what young people should and should not be reading? Whose moral compass is supposed to be held paramount? And why is there such a lack of faith in giving young people the opportunity to read for themselves and determine their own opinions? Great teaching involves TRUSTING that young people can come to their own conclusions when they are given the tools necessary for critical thinking.
In many ways, though this book is centered on literature in the educational system, the topics explored make sense for all of us readers to be cognizant enough, political lines aside. This is a quick read, but chock-full of valuable insights. If you're anything like me, you'll be tabbing pages and questioning your own actions when it comes to the literature you decide to pick up...or not.
During a time when reading has become more politicized than ever, Appleman uses the space in this short book to dig deep into what is lost when we determine authors and their books are no longer worthy of reading. Written from a pedagogical standpoint on the ways in which removing literature from discourse also denies the potential for critical thinking skill development, I applaud her for the approach.
What is lost when a select few determine what young people should and should not be reading? Whose moral compass is supposed to be held paramount? And why is there such a lack of faith in giving young people the opportunity to read for themselves and determine their own opinions? Great teaching involves TRUSTING that young people can come to their own conclusions when they are given the tools necessary for critical thinking.
In many ways, though this book is centered on literature in the educational system, the topics explored make sense for all of us readers to be cognizant enough, political lines aside. This is a quick read, but chock-full of valuable insights. If you're anything like me, you'll be tabbing pages and questioning your own actions when it comes to the literature you decide to pick up...or not.
January 29, 2023
LITERATURE and the NEW CULTURE WARS
DEBORAH APPLEMAN
Review by Roy Murry, Author
I do not have a Ph.D., nor am I a teacher of Literature. However, I did have the opportunity in college to take two courses in American Literature which I excelled, and I have read thousands of books, novels, and papers.
In reviewing Ms. Appleman's dissertation on teaching American and English Literature, one does not need to have Critical Race Theory as part of the syllabist. However, she believes the professor must not cater to the whims of the students, faculty, and an uncultured society.
CTR is not Literature. It's seventy-five percent history and twenty-five percent propaganda - not a text to evaluate icons like Mark Twain, Hemingway, Shakespeare, or Toni Morrison. I agree with L.P. Hartley: "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."
If you have an Inquisitive Mind, as I do, you will purchase this book. Beforehand, this is written for the literature teacher and is detailed in jargon.
DEBORAH APPLEMAN
Review by Roy Murry, Author
I do not have a Ph.D., nor am I a teacher of Literature. However, I did have the opportunity in college to take two courses in American Literature which I excelled, and I have read thousands of books, novels, and papers.
In reviewing Ms. Appleman's dissertation on teaching American and English Literature, one does not need to have Critical Race Theory as part of the syllabist. However, she believes the professor must not cater to the whims of the students, faculty, and an uncultured society.
CTR is not Literature. It's seventy-five percent history and twenty-five percent propaganda - not a text to evaluate icons like Mark Twain, Hemingway, Shakespeare, or Toni Morrison. I agree with L.P. Hartley: "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."
If you have an Inquisitive Mind, as I do, you will purchase this book. Beforehand, this is written for the literature teacher and is detailed in jargon.
March 15, 2023
3.5 stars. A helpful overview of the current cultural climate and the problems English teachers face when trying to navigate student, parent, administrative, and community concerns about English/Language Arts curriculum. I'm putting this on my required reading list for next semester's methods course.
The essays are a little repetitive and there weren't as many solution suggestions as I'd hoped for (as if there are easy solutions), but I appreciated the measured tone and the attempt at dialogue (vs. debate and polemics), even if I didn't always agree with Appleman's ultimate assessments.
The chapters read quickly and I can imagine using them at department meetings or even with a board of ed if members truly want to engage in meaningful conversation about the role of literature and (and in) education.
The essays are a little repetitive and there weren't as many solution suggestions as I'd hoped for (as if there are easy solutions), but I appreciated the measured tone and the attempt at dialogue (vs. debate and polemics), even if I didn't always agree with Appleman's ultimate assessments.
The chapters read quickly and I can imagine using them at department meetings or even with a board of ed if members truly want to engage in meaningful conversation about the role of literature and (and in) education.
March 28, 2024
I felt like this book was a very thorough dive into the different perspectives surrounding the question of whether or not books should be banned in schools- especially for how short it is. It also took some time to explore how recent shifts in culture have put extra and nuanced responsibilities onto teachers that they did not necessarily sign up for which could lead to an interesting discussion on the amount of teachers choosing to leave the profession. However, I couldn’t tell if it was intentional that I couldn’t tell whether the author was arguing for or against book censorship for 70% of the book. To borrow the structure of a phrase that the author uses (very often) in the book: I found it well-balanced at best and fickle at worst.
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